European Studies, Film & Television, Film & Television Arts, Film & Television Production, Film & Television Studies, Screenwriting

Prerequisite(s):

Screenwriting majors only; must have completed SCWR 220 or above

Program Description:

HOST INSTITUTION

The host is the Budapest Film Academy (BFA), located on the campus of Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), the largest university in Hungary. This presents a unique opportunity to study screenwriting, production, and film studies in English with Hungarian and international students. BFA is also affiliated with Korda Studios (where much of The Martian and The Borgias were shot.), the main equipment rental house, and special effects companies, so that students have access to the latest in equipment and technologies. To learn more about BFA, click here.

LOCATION

Hungary is in the center of Eastern Europe, sharing borders with Austria, Ukraine, Slovakia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, and Croatia. Budapest, straddling the Danube River, is a bustling capital city home to a thriving film community, architectural delights, and world-famous baths. Though the language is difficult, English is widely spoken. Public transportation is cheap and easy to use. Medical care is on a par with any Western European country. Food is tasty and reasonably priced. Housing is inexpensive and convenient. Culturally, Budapest offers a top-notch selection of classical and modern music and a world-class Opera House. There is a large island in the center of the river that is dedicated to sports of all kinds where bicycles can be rented. There’s a permanent circus nestled into a large park and a vibrant nightlife.

ACADEMICS

All courses will be BFA and ELTE courses with equivalency to LMU courses.

Adaptation: One Medium to Another
Karol Hoeffner
Equivalent to SCWR 428 - Practical experience in translating books (novels and/or non-fiction) into film scripts.

Students are required to pick at least TWO of the following:

Screenwriting – Writing a Short Film
BMI-FLMD-352E.05
4 units
During these lectures, we will talk about the various tools available for the writer to create a meaningful story which will entertain and grab the audience. We will look at short films as a medium where every line, every second counts and will have to push the story, the conflict forward to a satisfying resolution. In the Short Film Writing Class, students’ works and ideas will be discussed.

Directing – The Craft and Role of the Director
BMI-FLMD-351E.05
4 units
We will view the director’s input from the birth of an idea through production. We will also touch upon the importance of screenplays as the foundation of any film, the cooperative nature of the relationship between director and screenwriter. We discuss how a director makes a project his own and how he puts his stamp on it.

Creative Producing – Getting Your Film MadeBMI-FLMD-361E.04
4 units
We will provide students with a framework for understanding how value is measured and unlocked in international film production and distribution, in both the studio and indie space.

The Basics of Editing and Sound EngineeringBMI-FLMD-354E.01
4 units
During the course, we’ll cover the dramatic and creative tools of the editor, as he/she is the one who completes the film's final draft along with the director and producer. In order to achieve the best impact on the audience, the editor sometimes has to not only rewrite, but drastically change the story.

Cinematography – Basic Elements
BMI-FLMD-353E.03
4 units
In this cinematography class, we discuss and demonstrate both the artistic and technical aspects of the camera craft for filmmakers, in which we concurrently build a basic understanding of the equipment and language of cinematography.

Modern European Art Cinema
BMI-FLMD-211E.08
4 units
Modern European Art Cinema is the key to understand film history in the past fifty years. The goal of this course is to introduce the students into the thematic, stylistic and narrative universe of modern European art cinema. Through analysis of individual masters’ oeuvres the course will shed light on the evolutionary trends of film history of this period. The main objective is to make students familiar with the main authors, the main films, the most characteristic formal and thematic aspects and to provide insights how to relate them to each other.

Housing is mainly apartment style hostels with up to date European fixtures. Kitchens are usually included, though eating out is quite cheap. ELTE has a dining hall adjacent to the BFA, and there’s a very cool outdoor and indoor café across the street from the university.

CULTURAL EXCURSIONS

We will probably go to Vienna for a long weekend as well as points of interest in Hungary itself. Other excursions, including day trips up the Danube, are planned.